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{ Wednesday, May 21, 2003 }

It didn't bother me much when The New York Times, also known as The Grey Lady, went color, and I felt no nostalgia for the old grey-and-green when they announced the new colored money, but today I felt a pang of loss when I realized that, not only are they issuing scores of the poetry of Bob Dylan, but that most of the new music published by Schirmer's no longer looks like this. I think I am so attached to those old manila and green scores because of the many tears I cried onto the cover of Scales and Chords in all the Major and Minor Keys, which I found recently, grubby and weep-stained, tucked in the piano bench of my sister's Steinway.

The world of design has sustained some terrible losses. The new British Petroleum logo is no improvement, nor is the new UPS swoosh/shield combo, and just think of what $60 Million could buy. It bought the Bank of America this. To see very clearly how bad your average 1990s brand redesign was, watch the evolution of the Rockwell Collins logotype. Canon has fared pretty well over time, as has Bic; the best ones haven't changed much since their inception; also see Alfa Romeo and General Electric.

LINK | 5:25 PM | TB

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{ COMMENTS }

I always agree with about everything. Except I totally disagree with you about BP. Not only do I like how their new(ish) logo looks and think it is a good practically choice (visibility from roadside, recognizability in print ads, etc.) but I think their overall rebranding was very successful -- by far the best in the area of oil company mergers and changes. Whether or not they are a bunch of hosebags and do bad things as a company (I have no idea), the move to 'Beyond Petroleum' and the focus on alternative energy in their ads, the new look, etc., all add up to a positive impression from this consumer.

Stewart Butterfield | May 21, 2003 10:04 PM

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for brand consistency over the years, don't forget michelin:

http://www.michelin.com/

Eric Rodenbeck | May 21, 2003 10:08 PM

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But you forget, we've already had this conversation. May I suggest that you have a certain bias for radial imagery? Viz. this, this and this. You can't say you don't just love radial imagery without regard to appropriateness, now can you? You believe, don't you, that radial imagery is always appropriate, eh?

Ha!

Caterina | May 21, 2003 10:10 PM

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Your comments on Shirmer's brought back mixed emotions; the anxiety of weekly piano lessons, the comfort of seeing that familiar book (we had "Chords") on the piano at my parent's house in NJ.

rebecca | May 22, 2003 7:20 AM

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I agree with Stewart. The new BP logo is fantastic, what with that eye-pleasing green-graded flower full of environmentally-friendly suggestion; not that it absolves the company of a petrol brand rep, but it's the idea that counts, right?

Chris | May 22, 2003 7:29 AM

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The current issue of Emigre has an excellent rant on logo redesign. The entire issue is quite good. The UPS redesign is a tragedy.

kiri | May 22, 2003 12:08 PM

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I also like the BP logo, but only the green flower-thing part (and regardless of any connotations that it might inspire). The text looks like it's just been stuck on with no thought to how it interacts with the graphic.

Stefanie Noble | May 22, 2003 1:31 PM

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logo-branding-world needs cayce pollard -- the fascinating logo-sensitive gal in pattern recognition by william gibson (and she's afraid of the michelin man)

leanne | May 22, 2003 3:21 PM

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It's true--there have been some really sad developments lately in the world of identity design, as companies' missions become more expansive and unclear and the approval process has become more complicated and insecure.

The most egregious example of this is of course UPS. Once they just sent packages, communicated through Paul Rand's charming hand-drawn present, now they "synchronize the world of business" with a 3-D shiny golden shield.

But I have to say I think the new BP logo is beautiful. It has integrity as a symbol, it symbolizes their new alternative-fuel mission (which may or may not be genuine) in a lyrical way, and it even has historical significance for British Petroleum.

That symbol is part of the floor in the lobby of their headquarters--it was put there by the craftsmen that laid the terrazzo back in the 1920s. I love that this seemingly brand-new thing was actually there all along.

Scott | May 22, 2003 4:28 PM

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BP's logo may be pretty, but it's also part of the company's massive greenwashing tactics. Read here and here to get the real story. I wrote a big paper last term on oil corporations' greenwashing and now I can't look at that green and yellow flower without feeling a sense of disgust. BP spends way more money on advertising meant to convince consumers how "green" it is than on alternative energy efforts.

Emily | May 22, 2003 6:34 PM

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I thought the BP logo was a little creepy, at first glance. Now that I've read the string, I think I know why. Subconsciously, I really care what oil companies do, as I realize they are the biggest vested interest on earth, and run the economy of the modern world. As an artist, I'm really sensitive ( gullible) when it comes to symbols. So... the propaganda of the BP symbol is aimed right at someone like me. I feel it tries the eensiest bit too hard to tell me how green it is -- as if all they do is trade sunflower futures --and the cute, nostalgic, Art Deco origin story clinches it. So, I'm pretty sure I despise them for trying to "remanufacture" my consent, yet again. Sigh.

tim | May 23, 2003 12:51 AM

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I enjoyed the links to histories of logos. Some of the very old ones are much more striking than their current versions. Do you suppose there will ever be a fashion for returning to early-20th-century logos? Maybe for "nesting" products like housewares or comfort foods?

Prentiss Riddle | May 23, 2003 12:18 PM

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Don't forget the evolution of IBM's logo. I particuarly like the "Computing-Tabulating-Recording" logo -- look at that gorgeous letter "C!"

Roe (metrocake!) | May 24, 2003 2:15 PM

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I like the new BP logo. It reminds me of, but is better than, the aquila logo that I came across at work a few years ago. It's modern. It's appealing. It demands a second look.

JH | May 24, 2003 3:17 PM

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How about AT&T's Death Star?

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